Apparatus for distributing solids in granular or lump form

Abstract

In apparatus for distributing solids in granular or lump form over an area of defined width comprising a wheeled carriage which is reciprocal between two end positions along a path which corresponds to said width, said carriage carrying a longitudinally extending endless conveyor which is charged with the solids to be distributed and which has a discharge end that moves above said width during movement of said carriage, the improvement which comprises an elastically deformable energy storage and release device for limiting the movement of the carriage at each end of the path of movement of the carriage thereby absorbing energy from the carriage and for thereafter transferring energy back to the carriage to move the latter in an opposite direction, the device in its deformed position defining the respective end position of the carriage.

We claim: 
     
       1. Apparatus for distributing solids in granular or lump form over an area of defined width, comprising a wheeled carriage, which is reciprocable between two end positions along a path which corresponds to said width, said carriage carrying a longitudinally conveying belt conveyor which is charged with the solids to be distributed and has a discharge end that is moved above said width, the movement of the carriage being limited at both ends by elastic energy storage devices which elastically receive and store the kinetic energy of the wheeled carriage in one direction of movement and which subsequently transfer energy back to the carriage to move the latter in the opposite direction, said storage devices including buffers which are displaceable in guides against the force of spring means, which in their deformed positions define the end positions of the carriage. 
     
     
       2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the elastic energy storage devices are mounted on stationary buffer stops and cooperate with buffers on the carriage. 
     
     
       3. Apparatus according to claim 1 characterized in that both ends of the buffer are connected to the guide by folding bellows and the interiors of both folding bellows communicate with each other. 
     
     
       4. Apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the two folding bellows have approximately the same diameter. 
     
     
       5. Apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the spring means are disposed within one folding bellows. 
     
     
       6. Apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that that end of the buffer which cooperates with the carriage is formed by a tube, which has air passage holes and is guided in a tubular guide and carries a buffer plate and at its end remote from the buffer plate is connected by a rod to an end plate of the second folding bellows. 
     
     
       7. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the spring means are deformed to an extent which is at least 1/25 and preferably at least 1/20 of the width over which the solids are to be distributed. 
     
     
       8. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the spring means includes a coil spring. 
     
     
       9. In apparatus for distributing solids in granular or lump form over an area of defined width comprising a wheeled carriage which is reciprocal between two end positions along a path which corresponds to said width, said carriage carrying a longitudinally extending endless conveyor which is charged with the solids to be distributed and which has a discharge end that moves above said width during movement of said carriage, the improvement which comprises an elastically deformable energy storage and release device for limiting the movement of said carriage at each end of the path of movement of said carriage thereby absorbing energy from said carriage and for thereafter transferring energy back to said carriage to move the latter in an opposite direction, said device in its deformed position defining the respective end position of said carriage. 
     
     
       10. Apparatus as in claim 9 wherein said energy storage and release device includes inner and outer telescopically arranged tube means biased toward an extended position by a coil spring. 
     
     
       11. Apparatus as in claim 10 including a folding bellows connected between each end of the inner tube means and the respective end of the outer tube means, the interiors of said bellows communicating with each other through said tube means.